DON COYOTE 153 



ventriloquistic powers to lead the dogs off in 

 the wrong direction, while his mates, who aid 

 him on the hunt, sally into the sheep corrals 

 and carry off the fattest of the flock. Finding 

 the sheep disappearing at the hands of this 

 murderous rogue, the rancher puts out his traps, 

 but too often finds the cunning shrewdness of 

 the coyote outwitting his best efforts to catch 

 him. Unless the lure of bait is extraordinarily 

 attractive and free from human taint, or the 

 traps unusually well placed, the " educated " 

 freebooter will never be caught. He recognizes 

 that man is his worst and most insidious enemy, 

 and he looks suspiciously and contemptuously 

 upon all human inventions to work his ruin. 

 To show his scorn and let the farmer know how 

 near he has been to the cruel trap without 

 being caught, he often defiles the trap with his 

 excreta, leaving his enemy to curse the wily 

 and elusive creature who again has outwitted 

 him and rendered nugatory all his best efforts 

 to protect his sheep. 



The female coyote is a conscientious mother, 

 and it is a profound moment in her life when the 

 little grayish-brown puppies are born into the 



